"I worry about it every year on both sides of the ball,"
Fedora said. "At this time of the year with winter conditioning, spring ball
and through the summer, that's where your leaders are going to emerge. ... You
look for times of adversity for when those guys are really going to step up.

"Everybody can do it in the meeting room, but it's when
things aren't going right, who's going to step up at that point? That's when
your true leaders emerge."

On the defensive side of the ball, Tim Jackson, Kareem Martin and Tre Boston are the most experienced. Fedora said Jackson has stepped up the
most at this point, which is exactly what Fedora needs him to do.

"The guys made a lot of adjustments as far as the offseason
and those guys are moving around a lot quicker, just knowing where to go and
where to be," Renner said. "The defense looks great right now."

That emphasis on speed also carries over into Renner's goals
for the season. Renner hopes to shave seconds everywhere he can in Carolina's pursuit
of a quicker pace on offense. That means even calling plays faster can make a
difference.

Sophomore Shakeel Rashad added that the same style of play
has also carried over into his own position at bandit. After widespread
improvements, the team is looking forward to scrimmaging Charlotte on Thursday,
March 28th.

"We're what two, three weeks in and you can tell a huge
difference from last year, especially in the bandit position," Rashad said.
"Everyone's getting older, stronger, faster, more comfortable with the schemes.
Now we're ready to go out and play and make plays."

In the controlled scrimmage Fedora will pinpoint specific
areas of the game the Tar Heels are looking to develop. But compared to a year
ago Fedora has already seen major strides across the board.

"Everybody understands what we're doing," Fedora said. "Now
it's mastering your craft. It's perfecting what you do and not just trying to
learn what to do."